Sail reducing winder

ABSTRACT

A sail reducing winder is provided comprising a rotary tube parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mast as well as a device for holding this tube in position, which has at least two curved wings joined together by one of their ends by a connecting element able to be mounted on the mast, these two wings partially surrounding the tube and having, opposite the connecting element, two respective end edges extending parallel to the tube and defining an axial passage zone for the sail, the wings being offset axially so that their end edges are axially spaced apart from each other by a given distance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improvement to sail reducing windersand, in particular but not exclusively, to mainsail winders by means ofwhich shortening of the sail takes place by winding the sail on a rotarytube which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mastexternally thereof.

One of the problems raised by this type of winder is that the tension ofthe sail causes bending of the tube which, in addition to the fact thatit is prejudicial to the performance of the sail, causes a compressionstress on the mast. Furthermore, when the boat is tossed in the sea, thetube begins to oscillate between its two end fixing points and strikesagainst the mast.

To overcome this problem, it has then been proposed to hold the rotarytube parallel to the mast, by means of "crescents", i.e. by means ofelements, e.g. of cylindrical shape, mounted on the mast and whichpartially surround the tube while defining an axial slit for passage ofthe sail.

However, this solution which is described in the French patentapplication 83 14503, filed on 9th September 1983 in the name of theApplicant, suffers from a serious drawback. In fact, under the effect ofthe forces exerted by the wind, the sail is permanently deformed andthus loses its properties of flatness under tension.

Thus, when it is wound up, it puckers around the rotary tube. It canthen be observed, during unwinding which usually takes place through atractive force exerted on the lower rear corner of the sail, that thepuckers during unwinding are frequently dragged into the slit of thecrescents and cause jamming of the sail which can then no longer beeither let out or hauled in.

The purpose of the invention is then in particular to overcome thesedrawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For this, it proposes using at least one device for holding the tube inposition, comprising, in a way similar to said crescents, at least twocurved wings, joined together by one of their ends, by means of aconnecting element able to be mounted on the mast, these two wingsextending respectively on each side of the tube, so as to surround itpartially and having, opposite the connecting element, two respectiveend edges extending parallel to the tube and defining an axial passagezone through which the sail may pass.

According to the invention, this device is more particularlycharacterized in that said wings are axially offset with respect to eachother, so that said end edges are axially spaced apart from each otherby a given distance.

Advantageously, the lower side edges of said wings will extend obliquelywith respect to the axis of the tube so as to guide the sail to saidpassage zone.

In a first embodiment of the invention, said holding device is formedfrom a metal sheet curved so as to have a tubular shape centred on saidtube, said connecting element then consisting of a gutter shaped shellfrom which said wings extend.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tube holding devicecomprises three wings disposed in a staggered arrangement, namely : twowings extending on the same side of the tube and a third wing situatedon the opposite side, whose end edge is situated in line with the gapbetween the first two wings, at a given axial distance from the endedges of these first two wings.

To allow orientation of the sail on each side of the ship, the abovedescribed tube holding devices may be mounted on the mast by means of aswivel device comprising at least one pivoting arrangement with axisparallel to the mast.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention will be described hereafter by way ofnon limitative example, with reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows schematically in perspective, a device for holding the tubeof a mainsail winder mounted on a mast; and

FIG. 2 is a top view of the tube holding device shown in FIG. 1, mountedon a mast shown partially in cross section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, only the upper part of the mast 1of a boat has been shown, provided with a sail winder whose rotary tube3 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of mast 1, slightly at adistance therefrom.

More precisely, this rotary tube 3 is mounted for rotation about acarrier cable 4 stretched between a bracket 5 situated at the mast headand a support piece not shown) fixed towards the lower part of said mast1.

This tube 3 comprises a longitudinal groove in which the bolt rope ofsail 6 shown with broken lines) is engaged and may slide.

Furthermore, on tube 3 a swivel 8 is slidingly mounted whose inner part9 is attached to the head 11 of sail 6, whereas the external part 10which pivots freely on the inner part 9 is connected to a halyard 12passing over a sheave provided in bracket 5. This swivel 8/halyard 12assembly serves for hoisting sail 6.

Tube 3, parallel to the axis of mast 1, is held in position by a tubeholding device of the invention which comprises a holding piece 13formed from a metal sheet curved so as to have an open tubular shapesubstantially coaxial with the tube. More precisely, this holding piece13 comprises, in its part oriented towards the mast, a shell 14 in theshape of a gutter whose two longitudinal edges are extended by threecurved wings, namely:

two wings 15, 16 situated respectively in the two end regions of one ofthe longitudinal edges of shell 14, defining therebetween a free space17 of given width D, and

a wing 18 which extends from the central region of the otherlongitudinal edge of shell 14, in line with the space 17 between wings15 and 16.

To minimize the friction which they generate on sail 6, the front edges19, 20, 21 of wings 15, 18, 16, which extend parallel to the mast 1 areprovided with rollers 22, 23, 24.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, rollers 22 and 24 define, in verticalprojection with roller 23, a space e of appropriate width forfacilitating the passage of sail 6, but yet sufficiently small to retaintube 3. These front edges 19, 20, 21 are further spaced axially apartfrom each other by a distance d₁, d₂ which is sufficient to let pass thefolded portions of sail 6 when it is unwound.

Furthermore, to eliminate any risk of catching and/or jamming of sail 6,the lower edge 25 of shell 14 and the lower side edges 26, 27 of wings16 and 18 are shaped so as to have a continuous helical form passingaround tube 3 and connecting together the lower ends of the front edges20, 21 of wings 18, 16.

Similarly, for similar reasons, the upper edge 30 of shell 14 and theupper side edges 31, 32 of wings 15 and 18 have a continuous helicalshape connecting together the upper ends of the front edges 19, 20 ofwings 15 and 18.

The pitch of this helical shape may then be less than that of the shapeformed by the lower edges 25, 26, 27.

The holding piece 13 is mounted on mast 1 by means of a swivel devicecomprising two swivel elements each having a link 33, 34 mounted forswivelling at its ends, on the one hand to a support piece 35, 36 fixedto the mast and, on the other hand, to a swivel piece 37, 38 fixed tothe shell, the axes of this double swivel then being parallel to theaxis of the mast 1.

The advantage of such an arrangement is that it increases the angularmovement of the holding piece 13 and prevents it from abutting againstmast 1 under sailing trim running of the boat.

This advantage is illustrated in FIG. 2 in which the holding piece 13has been shown with broken lines in the endmost left™hand position.

Of course, the holding piece will be designed so as to define an innervolume with a sufficient section to allow the swivel 8 to pass.

What is claimed is:
 1. Sail reducing winder, of the type in which thereduction of said sail takes place by winding the sail on a rotary tubewhich extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mast, this windercomprising at least one device for holding the rotary tube in positionparallel to the mast, which comprises at least two curved wings, joinedtogether by one of their ends, by means of a connecting element able tobe mounted on the mast, these two wings extending respectively on eachside of the tube, so as to surround it partially and having, oppositethe connecting element, two respective end edges extending parallel tothe tube and defining an axial passage zone through which the sail maypass, where said wings are axially offset with respect to each other, sothat said end edges are axially spaced apart from each other by a givendistance.
 2. The reducing winder as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidwings have lower side edges which extend obliquely with respect to theaxis of the tube so as to guide the sail to said passage zone.
 3. Thereducing winder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holding device isformed from a metal sheet curved so as to have a tubular shape centredon said tube, said connecting element then consisting of a gutter shapedshell from which said wings extend.
 4. The reducing winder as claimed inclaim 3, wherein said wings have lower side edges and the shell has alower edge, said lower side edges and said lower edge being formed so asto have a continuous helical shape passing around the tube andconnecting together the lower ends of the end edges of said wings. 5.The reducing winder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said end edges areprovided with rollers with axis parallel to the mast.
 6. The reducingwinder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube holding device comprisesthree wings disposed in a staggered arrangement, namely: first andsecond wings extending on the same side of the tube, said second wingbeing lower than said first wing, and a third wing situated on the otherside of said tube, the end edge of this third wing extending in linewith the gap between the first two wings, at a given axial distance fromthe end edges of the first two wings.
 7. The reducing winder as claimedin claim 6, in which said tube holding device is formed from a metalsheet curved so as to have a tubular shape centered on said tube and apart of which, forming a gutter shaped shell, serves as connectingelement from which the three wings extend, wherein said third wing andsaid second wing have lower side edges which form with the lower edge ofthe shell, a continuous helical shape.
 8. The reducing winder as claimedin claim 7, wherein said third wing and the highest of said other twowings have upper side edges and form, with the upper edge of the shell,a continuous helical shape.
 9. The reducing winder as claimed in claim8, wherein the pitch of the helical shape formed by said upper edges isless than the pitch of the helical shape formed by said lower edges. 10.The reducing winder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connectingelement is mounted for pivoting on the mast by means of a swivel devicewith axis parallel to the mast.